Apple Inc. Product Lines and Events

I need help in critically analyzing the Apple case found in the attached document. In particular, please update the case information by new research to include Apple's other product lines and recent events, and decides the lessons that have been learned for information systems managers, in a succinct report that includes a results-filled executive summary.

Also research for evidence, if any, that Apple uses any of the following in its business activities: "business intelligence", "enterprise resource planning (ERP)", "customer relationship management (CRM)", "data mining", and "intelligent systems", and documents the results in the report

10 critical-thinking questions found in Browne & Keeley

What are the Issues and the Conclusion?
What Are the Reasons?
What Words or Phrases Are Ambiguous?
What Are the Value and Descriptive Assumption?
Are There Any Fallacies in the Reasoning?
How Good Is the Evidence: Intuition, Personal Experience, Case Examples, Testimonials, and Appeals to Authority?
How Good Is the Evidence: Personal Observation, Research Studies, and Analogies?
Are There Rival Causes?
Are the Statistics Deceptive?
What Significant Information is Omitted?
What Reasonable Conclusions Are Possible?

In successfully accomplishing this case analysis, it will be important to:

1) Extract the lessons of the Apple case as updated. Here you should consider the 10 critical-thinking questions found in Browne & Keeley/
2) Present evidence whether Apple uses any of the topics named in the second "bullet" in the assignment. Be succinct, as your readership will likely be busy with other things and can devote only a limited time to reading your ideas, no matter how good they are. Here you might think in terms of about a 3) three-to-five page analysis (including the executive summary), to include the 3) case updating that you must provide.

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In compliance with BrainMass rules this is not a completion of assignment but only background help.

Lessons of the Apple Case: Innovation and creativity pays. A company gains competitive advantage especially if the new ideas come from customers and users. The lesson learned is that a company should capitalize on a successful product. For example, Apple capitalized on the success of iPod. It developed and supported the development of 500 accessories. The lesson to be learned from Apple's iPhone experience is to engage the customer in product development. Apple let outsiders offer software for the iPhone. Another example is that 15,000 applications are available at its app store section of iTunes. From the perspective of developers they develop programs for iPhone because it offers them a larger market. Another important lesson to be learned is that a product can be built for accessories. For example, the iPad was made with an eye on accessories. The iPad increased the network for accessories. The main lesson to be learned from Apple is that it makes its products smaller, less expensive, and provides complementary features such as games and applications. Apple manages to get competitive advantage through customer focus, resources and capabilities, strategic vision, branding, and quality.

The updated lessons learned from Apple are that is pays to patent innovations and new technologies. This week a Silicon Valley jury added $290 million more to the damages Samsung Electronics owes Apple for copying vital iPhone and iPad features. Samsung now has to pay a total of $930 million. Another new lesson from Apple is that if an unlocked device is sold, the manufacturer can charge higher prices. The price of unlocked 5S is $849. Even now the owners of the unlocked device may have to use AT&T services because it is the largest GSM carrier. The S5 is supported only on GSM technology. The financial results of these steps have been positive. The 2013 fourth quarter fiscal financial ...

Solution Summary

The answer to this problem explains the competitive advantage of Apple Inc. The references related to the answer are also included.